Star Trek Set Replica Is New York's Newest Tourist Attraction

If you’re ready to boldly visit a piece of Star Trek history, then it’s probably time you plan [...]

By Megan Peters

star trek tos set tours

If you're ready to boldly visit a piece of Star Trek history, then it's probably time you plan a trip to Ticonderoga, New York. The small city houses the world's most accurate set replicas from Star Trek: The Original Series. Featuring the USS Enterprise's bridge, sick bay, and engineering floor, the set replica takes fans on a trip to the 2200s and lets them enjoy a nostalgic return to one of sci-fi's most beloved franchises.

Created by James Cawley, the part-time Elvis impersonator started to rebuild The Original Series' sets in 1997 after he was given a copy of the original Enterprise blueprints by one of the show's costume designers. Cawley built the sets alongside other Trekkies who also wanted to see The Original Series come back to life, and they even decided to use the recreations to film fan-made projects. They released "Star Trek: New Voyages" in 2004, and fans were thrilled to see the show's inaugural set featured in the short-film. From there, Cawley and his crew went on to make increasingly elaborate fan-films which even attracted Star Trek alumni like George Takei (Hikaru Sulu) and Walter Koenig (Pavel Chekov).

However, after 11 full-length episodes, Cawley has decided to put his fan-made series to rest. After all, Paramount Pictures and CBS Studios have been cracking down on Star Trek's abundant fan-films, even going so far as to file a copyright lawsuit against fans who'd raised $1 million to make their own Star Trek project. But, rather than keep his hard work tucked away, Cawley decided he wanted to share his set builds with Trekkies everywhere. The creator secured a license from CBS to open his own set museum, and so far, Cawley's exhibit has been bringing in major traffic.

Marybeth Ritkouski, one of the museums' tour guides, said the sets have prompted all sorts of emotional reactions from fans. She said she believes The Original Series still resonates with fans because of its hopeful nature, explaining that "The appeal of 'Star Trek' always was that it imagined a far, far better future than maybe what we're actually building for ourselves and I think it's something people want to believe in and want to see come true."

The set reproductions opened to the public in July, and its staff gives fans guided tours (in complete cosplay), photo opportunities, and a chance to immerse themselves in true Star Trek history. So, if you're interested in seeing what Cawley's work looks like in person, then you can plan a visit to his set tour at anytime. The walkthrough is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 AM - 6PM. Adult tickets will run you about $25, but the exhibit's official website details its family bundle deals and more.

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